Ex-Aide Says Bush Misled America re: Iraq War

by Deb Cupples |  There's a certain comfort in getting still more confirmation for what many of us ordinary Americans have -- for years now -- merely accepted as true.  The Washington Post reports:

"Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan writes in a new memoir that the Iraq war was sold to the American people with a sophisticated "political propaganda campaign" led by President Bush and aimed at 'manipulating sources of public opinion' and 'downplaying the major reason for going to war."

"McClellan includes the charges in a 341-page book, 'What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception,' that delivers a harsh look at the White House and the man he served for close to a decade. He describes Bush as demonstrating a 'lack of inquisitiveness,' says the White House operated in 'permanent campaign' mode, and admits to having been deceived by some in the president's inner circle about the leak of a CIA operative's name...." (Washington Post)

McClellan also reportedly criticizes Karl Rove, Condoleezza Rice, Dick Cheney, and others.   McClellan should know: as someone who worked for Bush in Texas and followed him to Washington, he was a trusted insider. 

Frankly, I cringe at the thought of enriching a man who seems to have been complicit in pulling off the White House's massive manipulation of public opinion.  At the same time, my curiosity may compel me to actually buy McClellan's book.

Then again, I might just get my name on my local library's waiting list.  Memeorandum has commentary.

Comments

[Adam]

The general feeling at dailykos is: thanks a lot, Scott. Way to make a buck off telling us what we already knew (i.e. that we were being lied to) once it doesn't matter.

The most positive aspect of the story is that he slams the media, too. That's the story that needs to keep getting told, until the MSM can't ignore it any more.

[Deb Cupples]

Adam,

Interesting that people at Kos had similar reaction to mine re $.

I agree re: the MSM.

[Adam]

slate video (slatev.com) has a great video of McClellan criticizing Richard Clarke in 2004 for doing EXACTLY what Scott McClellan is doing now. It's hilarious.

[Deb Cupples]

Adam,

Obviously, McClellan wants to make some money -- retire and get away from all this.

And since when has blatant hypocrisy surprised us when coming from a member of the Bush Administration?

[Adam]

Agreed on both points.

Actually, I think there are a lot of people in the administration, certainly including Bush, who really honestly and totally believe that their side is right, the other side is only right by blind luck, and that being on the "right" side means the ends justify the means. On some level, these people are aware when they lie or break the law or violate sacred principles of our government, but they don't particularly think it matters because they are doing it in the name of The Greater Good. As such, those people aren't really hypocrites, as much as they are misguided to the point of being delusional. You can really justify anything if you buy into this philosophy completely enough.

On the other hand, it appears that Scott McClellan is not afflicted with this particular form of ideological insanity. In stead, his excuse is a variant of the classic "I was just following orders". When he criticized Clarke for releasing a book in the middle of an election year, he was just making the argument he thought would be most effective. Just "doing his job", i.e. lying on command. He may have lost a little sleep that night, but hey, what could little ol' Scotty do? That's hypocricy.

I suppose I slightly prefer this, though - I'd rather McClellan be a spineless hypocrite than a delusional nut. This way, at least we get the satisfaction of a mea culpa. This story is also helping peel away another layer of the MSM's complicity in selling the Bush policies to the people.

[Deb Cupples]

Adam,

Given how some of these people have played fast and loose with our tax dollars (e.g., fattening up contractors and refusing to monitor them), I don't think that they actually believe they were doing right.

We can disagree on that, too. :)

I don't know why you keep arguing about McClellan. We both think he's hypocritical and stands to make a lot of $.

Frankly, if we want insiders to keep exposing nasty and hidden truths, we must welcome them into the fold (so to speak) when they blow the whistle.

Even if their motives aren't so good.

[Adam]

I'm not really arguing with you, I'm just blathering here.

Good point about contracts. I agree that even the true believers are hypocritical and corrupt when it comes to sweetheart deals for their corporate buddies. But my guess is that they can easily justify this to themselves because, hey, it's a small price to pay in the name of the cause. There's an almost unfathomable sense of entitlement involved in that, but I honestly think Cheney thinks this is just not that big a deal.

Yeah, I agree, the proper path for the progressive movement is to amplify McClellan's story and thank him for belatedly coming around to telling the truth.

But personally, I wouldn't buy his book for a dollar.

[Deb Cupples]

Adam,

As I said, I'll put my name on the library's waiting list.

Damozel agrees with you: that Bush Admin folks are true believers and ideologues.

I think they use ideology as a plausible denial: it's better to be seen as true believers of the stubborn, stupid and wrong variety than to be seen as people who knowingly committed crimes (or waste or abuses).

That's just me, though. I can't prove any of it.